PDX PHD: Make yourself smarter.

THEINSTRUCTOR With a degree in technical theater with an emphasis on garment construction, Brooklyn native Bree Perry learned her trade from nearly a decade as a costumer at regional theaters and off-Broadway.

THESYLLABUS Perry says: “I lived with a bunch of guys, and they were always asking me in the summer to turn their pants into shorts. I thought, if there was an audience right at my house, then I could find people to take a class.” Turns out she was right: so many lads signed up for Man Up & Sew, Perry added a class for dads (making a simple baby blanket) and a summertime course on—yes—turning pants into shorts.

THESTUDENTBODY “Married men, dads, and single guys who just want to know how to fix their clothes,” Perry says. Subculturally, it sounds like the audience ranges from would-be DIY stalwarts to enlightened stroller pushers.